Overall
If the seven-passenger Flex is too much and the compact Escape is too tight, selecting the reshaped Edge might make the perfect compromise.

Drivetrain
Four-cylinder and V6 turbo engines plus a non-turbo V6 give you a wide choice of power options; all with six-speed automatic transmissions and available all-wheel-drive.

“Think Small” was the advertising catch phrase used to promote the Volkswagen Beetle back in the 1950s. Today, “Think Small Engines” could easily be Ford’s slogan, especially for the 2015 Edge. The next-generation wagon arrives with a 245-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the base engine. It can be had with all-wheel-drive and can muscle up to 3,500 pounds of trailer weight. Also all new is a twin-turbocharged 325-horsepower 2.7-liter V6. The engine is standard in the appropriately named Edge Sport and optional in the premium Titanium trim level. The Sport’s previous 305-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 gets the boot. Sandwiched between the two turbo engines is the returning (and now optional) 285-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. All three are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions with paddle-shift controls. A sport setting lets the engine rev to a higher limit in each gear for more spirited driving. Normal and Sport modes are also part of the Edge’s adaptive-steering system. It makes it easier to park in a tight spot while being more responsive during high-speed maneuvering. The optional all-wheel-drive system can direct up to 100 percent of the torque to either the front or rear axles, as needed. The new engine lineup might be the Edge’s major drawing card, but there are additional obvious and unseen changes to report. A hexagonal-shaped grille softens the Edge’s look. Also, the roofline is more swept and the LED taillights are narrower and extend into the liftgate. The body panels are attached to an equally new platform that originated with the current Ford Fusion and is considerably more resistant to bending and twisting. The passenger space has been designed with more supportive seats, more storage bins and cubbys and an eight-inch touch screen for the audio, infotainment, navigation and climate controls. The most basic of the Edge’s four trim levels has plenty of comfort content. Beyond that, the list of available safety and technology gear seems almost endless. Among the more intriguing is a 180-degree front camera that scans for unseen cross-traffic at intersections. Then there’s active park assist that will guide the Edge into, as well as out of, a parallel-parking spot. Finally, a passenger knee airbag deploys from inside the glove box door.